Who is Satan? The word Devil is from the Greek word diabolos, which means accuser or slanderer. The name Satan is from the Greek word satanas, which means adversary. He is our enemy, our opponent, the antagonist. While we don t know everything about Satan s origins, we can conclude from a study of scripture that he is a fallen angel who sinned and was cast out of heaven. Jesus said in Luke 10:18 I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightening from the sky. Peter said in 2 Peter 2:4 God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment Jude said in Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. I. Satan s Origins Satan and the fallen angels (demons) were apparently created as sinless angels who later fell. Many scholars believe (others dispute these passages are actually referring to Satan) that the nature of Satan s fall is covered in Ezekiel 28:14-15 (represented as the King of Tyre), and Isaiah 14:12-13 (represented as the King of Babylon and referred to as Lucifer). Ezekiel 28:11-15: Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. Isaiah 14:12-13: How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north Satan s pride made him rebel against God s authority (1 Timothy 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil ). His pride caused him to lead a rebellion of 1/3 of the angels (possibly) against God: Revelation 12:3-4: And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. When they rebelled, Satan and his angels became fallen angels. With the fall of these spiritual beings, the spiritual war began. 1
II. Satan s Nature Satan is the ruler of all demons, or evil spirits who are the angels or messengers through whom he works: Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons. Matthew 12:24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Mark 3:22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebub, and, By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons. Luke 11:15 But some of them said, He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience ). Satan is the ruler or god of this world/age: John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 2 Corinthians 4:4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Satan is a personal enemy who is opposed to God, His people, and His plans. Jesus was not tempted by an evil influence, but by a personal fallen angel who can cite Scripture to his purpose. Satan can appear as a hideous dragon (Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him ). He can also appear as a beautifully deceptive angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15: And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works ). Satan s spiritual children are wicked (Acts 13:10 O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother ). Satan asked to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat ). 2
Satan influenced Peter to make a misstatement to Jesus (Matthew 16:22-23: Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You! But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men ). Satan worked through Judas and entered him so that he betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon s son, to betray Him Satan holds people who do his will as captives (2 Timothy 2:26 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants ). Satan can even be used by God to discipline Christians (1 Corinthians 5:5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Satan is a master planner who is constantly feeding false information about himself and his plans to the world. Satan also has a host of angelic forces helping him and a world system that supports his goals. It is tragic when people try to laugh away Satan by picturing him as a funny little man who runs around in a red suit with horns on his head and a pitchfork in his hand. Satan is not the clown prince of the universe he is the god of this world who reigns over his kingdom of darkness in power. He is not weak, he is mighty. His power is so great, we can t withstand him alone. He is a formidable opponent for humanity. God controls Satan, so he is limited in what he can and cannot do. Even though his power is limited in scope, his power is more than we can possibly comprehend as mortal beings. Satan represents all that God is not. While God is pictured as light, Satan is pictured as darkness. Jesus called him a liar and the father of all lies. He also described him as a murderer of the souls of men (John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it ). Whatever corrupts a man, whatever hurts a man, whatever is evil and dark and bitter is of the devil. He has never blessed one life; he has never encouraged a single soul to do what is right and holy. He is thoroughly sinister! 3
III. Other names for Satan The other names by which Satan is known in scripture in many ways reveal his nature and character. Abbadon Revelation 9:11 Appollyon Revelation 9:11 Accuser Revelation 12:10 Adversary 1 Peter 5:8 Angel of light 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 Beelzebub Matthew 12:24 Belial 2 Corinthians 6:15 Dragon Revelation 12:9 Enemy Matthew 13:39 Evil One 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Deceiver Revelation 20:10 god of this age/world 2 Corinthian 4:4 Liar and the father of lies John 8:44 Murderer John 8:44 Prince of demons Matthew 9:34 (NLT) Prince of the power of the air Ephesians 2:2 Ruler of the demons Matthew 12:24 Ruler of this world John 16:11 Serpent Genesis 3:4 Serpent of old Revelation 20:2 Strong man Mark 3:26-28 Tempter Matthew 4:3 IV. Satan s war on Christians Satan tries to spiritually destroy Christians: Ephesians 6:10-12: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The Greek word for wiles is the word we translate as the word methods. This has the idea of cunning arts, deceit, craft, and trickery. Satan has methods he uses to keep those who are lost, lost, and to cause those who are saved, to fall. Satan does not want the Christian to stand, but to fall. Satan has devices, plans, and strategies for each Christian. Satan will exploit our weakness, looking for our holes, setting traps. Satan will use every tool at his disposal to prevent people from hearing, believing, and obeying the Gospel. It s no accident that Jesus is mocked in the media, that the Bible is barred from workplaces and schools, and that Christians are ridiculed. Satan tries to spiritually devour/overwhelm Christians: 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour Satan tries to deceive us (Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him ). 4
When God first disciplined the early church in Acts 5, He did so in a dramatic way. What was the issue drugs, sex? No, the issue was truth or the lack of it. Peter confronted Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? ). God wanted the church to know Satan the deceiver can ruin us if he can get us to believe and live a lie. Satan tries to hinder our work (1 Thessalonians 2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you even I, Paul, time and again but Satan hindered us ). Satan tries to tempt us to commit sin and immorality (1 Corinthians 7:5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control ). Satan tries to ensnare or trap us (1 Timothy 3:7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil s trap ). In the parable of the sower, Jesus taught that Satan snatches the Word away from the hearts of those who hear so that they will not believe (Mark 4:15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts ). Satan tries to influence people to be like him jealous, selfish, and filled with pride: James 3:13-16: If you are wise and understand God s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. Satan persecutes Christians: Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor s crown. V. The Christian s Response to Satan Recognize his power and deception (2 Corinthians 2:10-11: When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes ). Adhere steadfastly to the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith ) Resist him openly (James 4:7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you ). Don t give him any opportunities (Ephesians 4:26-27: don t sin by letting anger control you. Don t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil ). 5
Fight against him (Ephesians 6:13-18: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people ). NIV Overcome him (1 John 2:13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father ). The best way to oppose him is by being a growing Christian. Believers can respond to temptations by Satan with confidence. VI. Satan s Destiny Satan's doom was secured by Jesus' death on the cross: Colossians 2:13-15: You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. John 16:11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 1 John 3:8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Hebrews 2:14-15: Because God s children are human beings made of flesh and blood the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. As a place for punishment for their rebellion, God created the everlasting fires of hell for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels ). Satan will continue to hinder God's program until he and his angels are cast into the lake of fire: Revelation 20:10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 6